Gou Zai Xianwu Wenjing Search for Opportunities

It is unknown which year it was during the plum rain season, but Yuanhu Lake swelled up, and the water in the Hongli River rose as well, and the floodwaters submerged the paddy fields in the blink of an eye.

The following year, the flood came again.

For some reason, it seems to have become a regular occurrence for the annual plum rains to cause severe flooding, and the floodwaters are getting bigger and bigger. Even the paddy fields on higher ground are not spared, and the few acres of dry land on the mountainside that remain are simply not enough for the villagers to pay their taxes.

The villagers were struggling to survive and came to borrow grain. Many of them couldn't repay the debt. He cursed and pointed at them, but he still lent them the grain.

Four out of the last ten years have been flooded, and in recent years there have been two consecutive years of flooding. This year, the Dragon King is angry again, and the water is even more powerful, mercilessly submerging everything.

One morning, when Grandpa Zhang got up, he found his house flooded. His hands trembled as he took a puff of his pipe and stared silently at the water, his vision blurring.

His family urged him to seek refuge in the city, but he refused, saying, "I'm too old to leave. I'll just build a shed on the mountain."

In the end, he was persuaded by his family to come to the mansion in Taoli Town.

Last night, after having dinner with his eldest daughter-in-law and granddaughter, he went to bed early. In his half-asleep state, he suddenly saw someone lift the bed curtain and peek in.

"Who..." The light was too dim to see who it was, but he was vaguely visible with his face covered.

The masked man instantly grabbed his throat and said hoarsely, "Don't scream, or I'll kill you! Tell me, where is Zhang Dengfeng?"

Old Master Zhang was immediately trembling with fear. Even after the other person released his grip, he dared not shout again. He coughed a few times and said in a trembling voice, "I... I don't know."

"He ran away, abandoning his family. Don't you even think about them?"

Old Master Zhang was at a loss, and said in a terrified tone, "He works in the Marquis's residence."

"Don't try to fool me! Tell me, where is he hiding?"

"He has been working at the Marquis's residence and has not returned home yet."

The masked man sneered, "Fine, old man, since you know nothing, don't blame me. He ruined our plans. Since he dared to run away, let him learn what it means to be able to run away but not to hide. Let's see if he comes back for the funeral!"

After saying that, the masked man stuffed a pill into his mouth and forced him to swallow it.

"Ah, ugh..." Old Master Zhang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, his whole body convulsing uncontrollably. He kept pleading, his voice coming out intermittently, as he forced himself to breathe, "Please, let Xu Niang and Yu'er go, they don't understand anything."

Please spare the Dengyun family. They've been in the city the whole time and know nothing..."

"You're about to die yourself, yet you're still pleading for a family of women and children. You're much better than your good-for-nothing son. Don't have a son like that in your next life; he's a pure bastard. I respect you as a man, so I can stay away from women."

Finally, Old Master Zhang's vision went black.

The scene in the mirror abruptly ends there.

After reading about Old Master Zhang's life, Lin Yuan learned that he was an honest and kind-hearted small landlord from the countryside. In his early years, he relied on the legacy of the Marquis of Jiuling, Zhang, to marry and have children. In his middle age, he made his fortune by having his eldest son become a martial arts master. In his old age, he was killed because his eldest son offended some villains. Even on his deathbed, he pleaded for his family.

Ultimately, he was assassinated. Old Master Zhang must have harbored a lot of resentment and regret in his heart, otherwise his spirit would not have lingered.

The old man was frugal throughout his life, so he must have saved up a lot of money.

Lin Yuan stared at the mirror, pondering. He wanted to directly say that he wanted revenge, but instead asked based on the description he had privately deduced, "Grandpa Zhang, what can I do to help you, and how will you repay me? Ideally, it would be money that I can directly obtain, without letting anyone else know."

As Mr. Zhang gets older, his primary concern may not necessarily be revenge. This is related to each person's temperament, and this issue is more comprehensive, covering all the problems he can think of.

Immediately, the mirror surface churned with white mist, revealing new fragments of memory:

Grandpa Zhang haggled with the stall owner in the market town and bought a rough porcelain jar. The jar was small, and he could wrap his arms around it with one hand.

Back in his mansion, he placed a large bag of silver ingots hidden under the bed into a jar, his voice filled with joy: "One tael, two taels... three hundred taels!"

He sealed the jar, dismissed the servants, and, carrying the jar, went to the plum tree in the backyard.

He wielded a hoe, dug a large pit, and buried the jar.

After doing all this, he tamped down the soil, loosened the soil around the plum tree, and also loosened the soil around the jujube tree in the yard.

The image in the mirror changes again:

At the dinner table, a woman sat opposite Grandpa Zhang, with a little girl beside her. The woman attentively served Grandpa Zhang his meal.

After finishing his meal, Grandpa Zhang asked, "Xuniang, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. Has Dengfeng said when he'll be back?"

"Father, he's always busy at the Marquis's residence, so it's hard to say," Xu Niang said dejectedly.

"Sigh, he's always away from home all year round, and he rarely comes back to see you and your daughter. You and Yu'er have suffered so much." As he spoke, Grandpa Zhang wiped away his tears.

Xu Niang wiped away her tears, saying, "Father, Yu'er and I aren't suffering. This is just our fate!"

"Dengyun has always been obedient, and his family is living a happy life in the city, which makes me very gratified."

"Her uncle is a good homemaker," Xu Niang praised.

"Dengfeng is a man who never comes home and never wants to live a proper life. I know he built our family business, but he can't just focus on making money and neglect his family."

"Father, stop talking. I'm doing quite well in the Zhang family." Xu Niang forced a smile.

"I'm practically half-buried myself, my life's coming to an end. I don't know when I'll be gone, but I'm worried about you two. How will you manage?"

"Father..." Xu Niang could no longer hold back and burst into tears. As soon as she cried, the little girl cried along with her.

Old Master Zhang's eyes were filled with tears, and his vision was blurred.

Suddenly, the white mist in the mirror dissipated, and Old Master Zhang reappeared in the mirror. He bowed and prostrated himself on the ground outside the mirror.

Before long, Old Master Zhang slowly transformed into white light, dissipating into countless specks that vanished into the world through the back of the mirror.

Two incense sticks' worth of time passed.

Lin Yuan snapped out of his reverie in the mirror, opened his eyes, and found himself still squatting in the outhouse.

After asking the magic mirror twice, he felt dizzy. The mirror's side effects were still there, but the dizziness was much milder than the first time.

After practicing martial arts for a period of time, his energy and spirit have improved, which may be the reason why his symptoms have lessened.

Lin Yuan was overjoyed; martial arts were indeed useful.

At the same time, he was even happier that the jar of silver must have been secretly buried by Old Master Zhang. Since he was killed, he certainly didn't pass on this information to his descendants.

I don't know why people in this world like to bury silver underground.

He thought it over and over and realized that there really wasn't a good way to hide money in this world.

However, that doesn't matter, it's buried perfectly, making it convenient for him to retrieve it.

Three hundred taels! My three hundred taels!

But what Old Master Zhang ultimately wanted Lin Yuan to do was not to seek revenge, but to ensure the safety of Xu Niang and Yu'er.

However, Old Master Zhang may have realized through the mirror that he was not capable of avenging him, since Lin Yuan had said it was within his power when he asked.

Regardless, Lin Yuan felt a greater respect for him. He was a kind-hearted person, but unfortunately, good people don't live long.

"Grandpa, you want me to look after Xu Niang and Yu'er, and I will do my best to help within my capabilities. I also hope your jar won't disappoint me."

Having said that to himself, Lin Yuan got up and left.

But my leg went numb!

So he limped out of the outhouse, leaning against the wall.

A waiter outside finally saw him come out, and looked shocked, muttering to himself, "How long is he going to be squatting like this? He's even lazier than me."

Lin Yuan glanced at him, ignored him, and went straight to the side hall in the front yard, where there was a water clock for telling time.

When he returned to the Hu family home, he glanced at the time as he passed by the side hall; it was a little past 3:45 PM.

The current time is exactly 6:00 PM (Wei Shi).

I asked myself two questions, and exactly 45 minutes had passed.

In other words, asking a question in the mirror takes an average of 15-20 minutes.

Very good. He has completed another test of the mirror's function. Knowing the time will make it easier for him to operate it in the future, so as not to miss the auspicious time when using the mirror.